The Gift That Keeps on Giving

“The Winter Tree”

I sat in the family room yesterday, working on my laptop. As I was installing my tax software, I looked over and caught the sun gleaming through the branches of the tree that still stands in front of the picture window. Do I still call it a Christmas tree now that it’s February? I don’t know. Maybe I’ll call it a Valentine tree.

I contemplated taking it down…for about two minutes. Then I said…”Nah, we love it!” So there it stands. It serves many purposes. It brings a lovely ambient light to the room in the evenings as we sit and enjoy this comfortable space we created. The blue-grey walls take on a deeper, muted tone in the pale white light. The mechanical angel on top continues her slow dance. I have the lights set on a timer to come on at 5:30. This is where I notice another benefit to leaving the tree up. When I first decorated it and set the timer, it had already been dark outside for quite some time when the lights came on. Now it’s still daylight, giving me a visual sign that the days are indeed getting longer and spring will be here before we know it.

I do whatever it takes to keep happy in the winter. Having gone through a clinical depression in the ‘90s, I am very careful about my mental hygiene when the days are so short. It is easy to become bored when you are stuck inside too much and it’s not a long walk from boredom to depression. They are one and the same…just different points on a continuum. I heard of a suicide yesterday. It made my heart hurt. With boredom, escape can come in sleep. With depression, escape can tragically become final.

Winters are long and dark enough. If leaving my tree up makes me happy, so be it. It very likely will become an Easter tree before I give in and take it down. At least the Christmas carols are gone! I am always glad to put those away. Six weeks of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” is enough to drive anyone batty! ❤️

“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭36:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬